As the Jets got set to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, captain Steven Stamkos was signing the praises of Scheifele.

“It’s not surprising for me because I see him every day in the summer and I see the work that he puts in and how driven he is,” said Stamkos, who trains with Scheifele. “He’s one of the guys that probably just enjoys hockey probably the most out of anyone I’ve met, and what I mean by that is he eats, breathes and sleeps hockey. He’s always trying to improve, he’s always asking questions, he’s always watching tape, he’s always working on his game. I think it’s the highest compliment when you can say he’s like a hockey nerd. He loves that and that’s why it’s amazing to see how good of a hockey player he is, and he’s only going to get better because he wants to get better.

“He’s an elite player and a great person and it’s no surprise why he’s one of the best in the league.”

Much like Jets captain Blake Wheeler was saying last weekend after Sunday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, Stamkos agreed that Scheifele is now pushing him in the summers to become a better player.

“It’s the highest compliment you can have when guys are looking to you to motivate them. That’s what leadership is all about and that’s what (Scheifele) is all about,” said Stamkos, who knows a thing or two about leadership. “He’s looking for an edge to becoming a better player and that’s pretty impressive. Sometimes, you have to stop and realize how young he still is. He’s mature beyond his years and I’m definitely happy for the success he’s having, just hopefully not (Saturday).”

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was the assistant coach with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and was the Team Canada bench boss at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, so he’s gotten familiar with Scheifele during the past few years.

“First of all, (Scheifele) is just an enjoyable guy to be around. What I like about him is he keeps things light, even when the game amps up,” said Cooper. “He has incredible hockey knowledge. You can tell he studies the game and I like talking hockey with guys like that. Plus, he’s got a little bit of wit in his personality.

“Then you blend it in that he’s six-foot-three, can skate shoot and do all of those other things, that’s a good guy to have on your team. I really enjoyed him.”

Long road back

Stamkos spoke with incredible passion and was reflective when asked about his long road back from the right knee injury he suffered early last season, forcing him to miss the final 65 games.

“I really didn’t know what to expect coming off last year and trying to get as healthy as possible,” said Stamkos, who went into Saturday’s game as the NHL scoring leader with 12 goals and 41 points in 28 games. “Having not played in a competitive game for almost a full year and coming off, for me, probably the toughest rehab for injury that I’ve had to do, you’re just not sure how long it’s going to take you to get back to the level that you know you can play at.

“Just really happy to be on the ice and contributing. I knew the offensive instincts, you’re never going to lose those. It was just about getting comfortable and confident again.

“I’ve been able to have a good start to the year and our team’s winning, which helps. It’s been a lot of fun.”

The scary thing for opponents is that Stamkos isn’t back to 100%.

“You have as many injuries as I’ve had, and the severity of them, it’s kind of a new normal when it comes to how you’re feeling,” said Stamkos. “I’ve come to grips with that and continued to work hard to keep improving.

“I still don’t think I’m there, where I’m feeling like I felt before the injury, physically. But obviously things have gotten to a point where I’m definitely confident and comfortable out on the ice and just playing the game that I love.”

Stamkos is an inspiration to his teammates.

“He worked his tail off to get back into game shape,” said Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman. “He was very dedicated to come back to the standard we are used to seeing him at. He just took off from Game 1 and it’s been fun to watch him come back like that injury and be one of the best players in this league.

“It’s not just last year, the last few years he’s gone through some freakish stuff. For us to see our captain having that positive attitude, that rubs off on the team. He’s always been the game that calms the room and he has a very positive attitude. That’s what you want in your captain.”

Praise for Hellebuyck

Cooper also had high praise for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who was the third stringer for Team North America and got a good idea about his talent level and will to win during the tournament.

“I got to be around him at the World Cup and you could just tell he was going to be a player,” said Cooper. “He didn’t get to play much while we were there, but he was the guy that held everybody accountable and stayed late after practices. You could see how hard he worked and you could see he had something.”

Another hurdle cleared

Jets goalie Steve Mason was a full participant for Saturday’s morning skate after he passed his concussion protocol test.

Mason, who missed the past seven games, is inching closer for a return and if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks there’s a good chance he could be activated from injured reserve and serve as the backup in Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

“He’s been working hard for a week and he said felt fine for a week, he just couldn’t get through one of the sections (of the test),” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “But he past his test. There won’t be really any turnaround time on him now. We’ll make sure he gets off that plane (Saturday) night and feels good (Sunday) and then we’ll insert him back in.”

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